Lessons from “Jane Roe”

The anniversary of Roe v. Wade (22 January 1973)
is a troubling reminder that abortion is still legal in America. Sadly, after
spending millions of dollars to reverse the court’s decision, the pro-life
movement has had little success.

In June 2003, Christians rejoiced briefly when the US Congress
enacted the first limits on Roe v. Wade: a ban
on “partial-birth” abortions. But that law is now tied up in court. Even
if it survives litigation, the new law will save only a few hundred of the
estimated 1.3 million babies killed each year in the United States.

What Can the Average Christian Do?

While the courts are bent upon protecting the “right” of mothers
to kill their babies, they have stepped up their attacks on freedom of religion
and religious expression—including the display of the Ten Commandments in
public places. The US federal appeals court in San Francisco has even ruled
against including the phrase “under God” in the national pledge of allegiance.

The situation seems hopeless. Under such a hostile court
system, what can Christians do?

Finding answers to fight abortion has always been a key
theme of Answers in Genesis.Ken
Ham, president of AiG–US, has been recognized by the pro-life movement
for his anti-abortion efforts (see Ken Ham receives Pro-Life Award!). But his proposal
involves much more than dismissing a few Supreme Court justices.

Ken laid out the problem—and solution—back in
1987, in his documentary The
Genesis Solution. In that film, nominated “best Christian
film–documentary” of the year, he made a prophetic claim: even if
abortion laws are changed, the next generation will change them back if
the nation continues to hold a non-biblical view of human origins.

The film noted that abortion is not the problem—it is just
a symptom. The ultimate problem is that the culture as a whole, including
many churchgoers and church leaders, has exalted man’s beliefs above the
authority of God’s Word. The prevailing view—that modern man “evolved” over
millions of years of senseless death and killing—has destroyed the historical
basis for the dignity of human life, based in the history of Genesis, which
says that man was made in the image of God.

Ultimately the only way to turn the tide against abortion
and rampant immorality is to restore faith in God’s Word as the absolute authority
in not just all
matters of faith and practice, but everything else the Bible touches upon,
such as history and science.

“Jane Roe” Speaks Out

Abortion is not a difficult moral issue if you begin
with Genesis.

Nor is it difficult to find the solution to abortion. The
key is to turn the hearts of individuals back to the true history of life,
found in Genesis.

The Creation
magazine article “The Baby-Killers”
identifies one staunch pro-abortionist who had a change of heart: Norma
McCorvey, the “Jane Roe” of Roe v. Wade. Her
conversion caused shockwaves in the pro-abortion movement.

McCovery now runs a ministry called “Roe No More.” In June
2003 she even dared to file a motion to re-open her case and overturn the
1973 ruling. Though her legal maneuver was unsuccessful, she continues working
one-on-one to point individuals back to the truth—that God established the
sanctity of life in Genesis.

Commenting on the 1992 court decision to remove “under God”
from the U.S. pledge of allegiance, McCorvey shows why it is so important for
society to go back to Genesis:

In many ways, this day reminds me of another dark day in
our history, namely, January 22, 1973, when in a 7-2 decision, the Supreme
Court decided that it was the constitutional right of women to abort their
children in uteri. At the time, I believed that it was right—but I did not
know what I was doing … . But by the power of God, by the power of His Word,
I was able to free myself of the belief that we ourselves are gods, and that
we alone can decide the fate of ourselves and our children. I am living proof
that this is not true and will never be true.

If we allow decisions like Roe v. Wade and the recent San
Francisco decision to go unnoticed, we too, will be responsible for the demise
of America. … I return to Scripture as a source of strength: in Genesis,
He writes that God is the Creator of all things from conception until natural
death. He also instructed us to go forth and multiply, to teach our children,
and to glorify His name, for it is through Him that we have eternal life.1

The message of Genesis is still “quick
and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). Like a mirror, the Word of God exposes the folly of following
man’s way and the wisdom of following God’s way. One way
leads to destruction, and the other leads to life. We are not gods,
as the serpent told Eve, but the Creator is God, and His Word rules forever.

So the first priority of Christians, if they want to win the
battle for the culture, is to restore confidence in God’s Word, including
its absolute authority and impeccable accuracy from the very first verse.